Exiled Ukraine Governor claimed that nation attacked Wagner HQ, Russia's dark secret

The Russia-Ukraine war which has been raging for the past 10 months, has extended to great lengths. While Russia is escalating its attacks on the southern parts of Ukraine, the Ukrainian army is making breakthroughs in the east. Amidst all the chaos, an exiled Ukrainian governor claimed that Ukraine forces have struck the headquarters of Russia’s Wagner mercenary. Serhiy Haidai, the Ukrainian governor-in-exile of Luhansk in eastern Ukraine claimed that the Ukrainian bloc has attacked a hotel where Wagner group conducted their meetings. 

According to Haidai, the attack took place in a hotel in Kadiivaka in eastern Ukraine. The news came after it was reported that the Russian forces are striking Odesa. The Ukrainian forces on the other hand are targeting the city of Melitopol, the southern eastern Ukrainian city occupied by Russia. According to BBC, the exiled governor claimed that "at least 50%" of the surviving forces in the attack will die eventually due to lack of medical assistance.  

The reports of the attack on the group came to light in the midst of Brutal Russian attacks in southern Ukraine. The Ukrainian army claimed that it shot 10 drones on Saturday, while the other five drones hit the critical energy infrastructure of the port city of Odesa in Ukraine. Speaking on the matter, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelesnkyy said, "The situation in the Odesa region is very difficult," adding, "Unfortunately the hits were critical, so it takes more than just time to restore electricity. It doesn't take hours, but a few days."

What is Russia’s Wagner Group of Mercenaries? 

According to BBC, the Wagner group of mercenaries are state-sponsored mercenaries, operating in accordance with the Russian interest. The private entity was organised by Yevgeny Prigozhin who is known to be a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The group is known to be in Ukraine since 2014 to instigate the pro-Russian separatist groups in Ukraine. 

According to Tracey German, a professor of conflict and security at the King’s College London, “about 1,000 of its mercenaries supported the pro-Russian militias fighting for control of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions.” According to BBC, the mercenaries were involved in several “false flag attacks”, in eastern Ukraine. As per the reports, the attacks gave the Russians a justification to resume their violent actions in Ukraine. 

The group is known to be active in regions like Ukraine, Syria, and African countries. The group which is actually illegal in Russia was living in the shadows until their interference in the Russia-Ukraine war came to light. The group also played a monumental role when Russia seized Crimea in 2014. While Russia has kept the stance that private military groups are illegal in Moscow, the western bloc considers the groups as Russia’s “cleaners” or the “orchestra,” since they are known for “making noises” as they did in Ukraine. The recent revelations by the exiled Ukrainian governor reveal that Ukraine has managed to tackle one of the most important Russian components involved in the Russia-Ukraine war.